


Not your favorite?

by Diddle_Riddle



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: And friend with the Batfam, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Ed and Steph are family, Eddie is a detective, F/M, Friendship, Humor, M/M, Reformed Edward Nygma, Stephanie Brown is Batgirl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-11-08 04:43:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17974709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diddle_Riddle/pseuds/Diddle_Riddle
Summary: It is a well-known fact that Dick Grayson has a thing for redheads.





	Not your favorite?

"Where are you going dressed like that?", Dick asked as he looked him over.

He stopped by Edward's apartment in the evening, to return the file he borrowed a few days ago for his now closed investigation.

Knowing Eddie was not currently on a case, and because Stephanie was outside town until the end of the week, he expected to find his friend in his usual mood whenever he was not working or playing mother with Steph. That is to say, watching a movie he'll spoil entirely even when no one was around to listen, or being occupied on his computer and not wanting to get out; eventually complaining loudly about the fact he was bored.

But instead of this, he was ready to leave the flat when Dick arrived, and given his outfit it was not to go in a fancy place. More likely in a kinda... relaxed area.

Dick smiled a bit, ready to make a remark, but before he added anything about his appearance, Ed put a hand on his purple purse and answered very seriously:

"In a place of shameless activities one can practice without being judged. Where I'll distract myself, even just for one night, from the fact both my emotional and sexual love life have become a deep void of nothingness not bridged by anything or anyone anymore."

Dick couldn't help but laugh after this dramatic declaration.

"Don't make fun of my distress, Grayson.", he protested, but the other man's reaction amused him as well. "This is more sad than it looks like."

"Sure."

Dick winked at him, and Eddie smiled more openly.

"I should come with you, though.", he told him then. "My... 'emotional and sexual love life' as you call, is pretty empty lately too."

Ed offered him a supportive glance.

"Could Nightwing be loosing his legendary flirt abilities?"

"Maybe, maybe not..."

He shrugged, then realized he was actually very _tempted_ by the prospect of a funny night out with dear ex-Riddler.

"It's fine by me, I join!", he decided so. "Let's drink and make out, Eddie-baby!"

"That was elegant.", the ginger scoffed at the phrasing.

Then because he got Dick was being serious about it, he clarified:

"I'm going to a _gay_ strip club, do I really have to remind it?"

"Ah yeah..."

He considered it, then inquired:

"Are there girls in a gay bar too?"

"... I'm certain you can find the answer to this question without my help."

Dick laughed again.

"Well it's never too late to try something new!", he concluded, grinning, then pushed the provocation: "Can I have this date, beautiful? Furthermore..."

He eyed him over again, what resulted in an interested expression.

"... you're totally my type.", he ended accordingly.

"You say that just because of the hair color, don't you?", the other guessed right away.

"Perhaps.", Dick confirmed, and this time Ed shook his head.

"Not that I don't appreciate the effort.", he said while being clearly disapproving. "But Dick, given _who_ I've been with in your family, we absolutely _can't_ even _pretend_ to be dating for one night. And even without that, you are _straight_."

"Care to make me reconsider?", he taunted and gave him his best eye fucking glance.

But far from looking attracted, Ed simply made a mildly disgusted face.

"You realize I banged your _dad_ , right?"

He paused a short moment, next thing he added:

"And that your dad banged me."

Then he made a face, and completed:

"He has actually been on top more times than I've been... So I will definitely compensate some time soon."

"Now _that's_ something I'd love to hear more about!", he chuckled.

"Oh, please.", Eddie scoffed. "As if all of Gotham didn't know already about the details of Batman and I's activities..."

They shared a smile.

"I've been Batman too.", Dick truthfully pointed out afterwhat. "So it won't be that much of a difference if we happened to have a _rendezvous night_."

"No Dick, I won't go on a date with you.", he opposed, scandalized. "Of course we can go out, but we cannot, under _any_  circumstances, call it a... date. This would be so _weird_. Even as a joke, I really don't want us to act as per this strange relation. This would be... wrong and positively terrible."

"Not _that_  odd.", he objected with a grin, not giving up so easily.

Like everyone, he loved messing with Edward, it was always so funny. Therefore he relaunched:

"You and I would even be more _normal_ than you and Bruce, starting by the fact we're the same generation. Not my fault you only date guys twice your age, but the standards of conduct would more easily approve of a couple like us."

"Since when are we the kind who gives a damn about the 'standards'?", he mocked and they both laughed.

Because sure thing, as they proved it _many_ times, they were _anything_ but conventional. And all their lovely little patched-up family proudly claimed their... peculiarities, as being part of their charms.

"Besides.", Ed began to protest after that. "Bruce is not..."

But he sighed, perfectly aware Dick was _right_.

"He is not _that_ much older than me.", he dithered so. "Fourteen years of age gap isn't a giant difference."

"We talk about Crane then?"

"No we don't.", he answered immediately, his tone sharp suddenly.

Then his green eyes clouded with a strange distance and he ended, regret audible in his voice:

"I'm done talking about Crane."

Dick apologetically addressed him a little smile.

"Yeah... Sorry.", he said sincerely.

Referring or joking about the Scarecrow was something the rest of the family usually avoided when Eddie was around. Everybody was well aware a part of him will always miss sharing Jonathan Crane's life. Even after everything he had done to him.

How could Ed not just _hate_ the professor with every fiber of his being was insane to Dick, but he learned for a long time not to point it out. He was Robin since years when Riddler appeared, so he witnessed the evolution of the relationship between him and Scarecrow from its beginning.

He won't comment. He didn't have to, given he fact he knew everything already.

"So you  _definitely_ dumped Koriand'r?", Edward asked then, obviously to distract himself from the mention of his ex lover.

"I won't say 'definitely'...", Dick started, but Ed brushed off the argument with a wave of his hand.

"It was about time.", he decided firmly, not wanting to hear they could be 'not done' yet.

He rather smirked in a confident kind of way and bragged:

"Because Stephanie and I maintain: Barbara and you are _meant to be_ , you two are the only truly strong couple in this mad city, along with Harley and Pam perhaps. We all _love_ you. And we long to see you two finally getting back together."

"Nice to know I still can count on my fanclub.", he joked and Ed chuckled, then corrected:

"I'm afraid it's mostly Babs' fanclub. Cassandra loves her mommy/big sister, she convinced Steph to support as well and I joined the ship. As ever, you are just the good-looking second rate player in the stage, all lights are on Oracle."

"Hey!", he protested, vexed. "I thought I was your favorite!"

Ed arched an eyebrow.

"And what ever made you think that?"

"I was the first Robin!", he started to list as if it was a valid argument, now eager to prove his worth.

"So what?", the detective retorted, unimpressed. "You want a medal?"

"Dude, sometimes I miss the times our conversations were only you asking a riddle and me punching your face as a response."

Eddie winced a bit at that.

"Well _I_ don't miss the old days.", he defended. "I... like how things turned out now.", he admitted softly, a sweet smile lighting his features. "I like it very much."

"So do I.", Dick confirmed sincerely, and they shared an accomplice glance.

It was indeed _nice_  to have Edward as an ally. Because he was a precious help during investigations, a genius and an over-skilled detective.

But more simply because he was... a friend. A very  _dear_ friend.

"Furthermore, what you described was more Jason's style than yours.", Ed went on, amused. " _You_ used to take the time to _think_ of an answer to my riddles before beating me up."

"True!", Nightwing exclaimed, very pleased to hear what was almost a _compliment_ the way he saw it. "I've always been the most polite of the bats-and-birds flock! How can you prefer Jason over me despite the fact _he_ punched you way more often than I have?!"

"If I hated all the people who punched me, I would never date or have any friends."

"That's just because your tastes in boyfriends and pals are _terrible_."

They laughed together at this enunciated truth.

"Let's have dinner.", Dick proposed afterwhat. "So that I can try to convince you I'm your favorite Batkid."

Edward shook his head fondly.

"At this again, hu?", he jeered.

"I'm persistent!", he justified with pride. "Remember who raised me?"

"That I do... And congratulations, you are almost as obstinate as he is."

They high fived after this, as if they were children proud of their mischief.

Making fun of everything about Bruce was an activity Edward never grew tired of. Most of the times it was with Steph and sometimes Jason, or in Selina's company, but he gladly played along with Dick if the first Robin wanted to get in the field too.

"But just to quote your daughter/sister/buddy-girl, whatever you guys chose to refer to each other lately, wanna let me hear a _spoiler_  about who's your favorite? Except for her of course?", Dick inquired, trying to sound the most innocent possible.

Edward didn't buy it and immediately glared at him.

"Don't use Stephanie to get to me.", he growled, unamused.

The reason of his sudden frustration being the fact whoever talked about Steph _always_ had Edward's full attention and whoever complimented her was worth to live in his opinion. So it was indeed very easy to 'get to him' via Batgirl, whatever the way.

As Dick saw it, this was both so cute and truly funny.

"Come on, Ed. At least tell me you don't prefer Damian over me!", he required.

Then because Eddie began to ponder over the question, he exclaimed, desperate:

"Please no! You _can't_ prefer Damian! That's impossible!"

"I don't know.", he spoke after a quick reflexion during the one he could contemplate the other man's distress and enjoy to see him suffer. "But if you're asking for a list of strictly the bats, it's true that you won't be my last choice."

"And if I asked for a list of your favorite friends in general?", he tried while fearing the answer.

He was not disappointed, as Ed broke into a sarcastic grin:

"Then you won't even be in my top twenty."

"Hurtful!", he cried, faking a broken expression, and they soon ended up laughing again.

Dick won't risk relaunching the subject right away, though. Because even if they were joking, he knew all too well he _effectively_ didn't even reach top twenty in Edward's relationship web ranks.

What didn't keep them from having a lot of fun together here and there.

"You pay for dinner?", the detective asked later, and by doing so accepted the offer of going out with him tonight.

"Bruce's credit card will.", Dick proudly retorted and Eddie smirked.

"Keep going that way, birdie, you may graduate in my esteem some day."

It ended up in laughters, then Bruce's credit card indeed payed for their night out. Needless to say, they abused of it without mercy. About this point at least, they were always on the same page.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't actually ship Eddie and Dick as a couple, they can only be friends as I see it. But sure thing they'd be the... teasing type ;)


End file.
